


Cinnamon Coffee

by orphan_account



Category: Purple Hyacinth - Ephemerys & Sophism (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, For That Matter, I don't know how world works, I'm bad at this, Sweet Lover Lila, Tsundere Lukas, i think..., mentions of eating disorders, or english, you share one of your sesne with your soulmate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25994383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: If you ask Lukas Randall about soulmates, he would tell you all the stories are absolute bullcrap, and you should find something better to do than bothering him with romanticized nonsense.Maybe that was why gods decided to give him one.That wouldn't be that much of a problem if the said soulmate did not have a sweet tooth.
Relationships: Lila Desroses/Lukas "Grumpy Cat" Randall
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47





	Cinnamon Coffee

When you’re little they tell you about soulmates.

They tell you a tale about how a long time ago, humans were perfect beings with two heads and four arms and four legs, and that they were ever so happy it made gods jealous and in their rage, the gods split humans into two halves  .  And ever since then humans are born with  just  two arms and two legs and one head, destined to spend their lives searching for their other half - the person that will complete them. A soulmate.

They will tell you that meeting your soulmate is the best thing you’ll ever feel - a moment of clarity and wholesomeness filling your heart as all the pieces finally click together in silent harmony

They will tell you that though  physically  they  are separated  , the soulmates  are connected  through their hearts  .  They will tell you that if this connection so strong you can even feel what your soulmate feels, see what they see, hear what they hear, even if you’re miles and miles apart .

Because that’s what soulmate is about - they are your missing piece, a part of you that knows you more  intimately  than anyone else.

If you asked Lukas Randall about soulmates, he would tell you all the stories are absolute bullcrap, and you should find something better to do than bothering him with romanticized nonsense .

Given such a statement one may conclude that Lukas did not believe in soulmates. That,  however , is not correct.

True, he might not have trusted the romantic blabber about ancient octopus people with two heads and the whole soulmate-will-make-you-whole shtick  .  But the sensory connection between two soulmates from even the greatest distance - oh, he was a firm believer of that .

Through  perhaps  the term _believer_ is not as fitting as the phrase _the long-suffering victim of_.

Because, yes, Lukas Randall did indeed have a soulmate. One he shared a  really  strong connection with.  But while others would sometimes catch glimpses of what their soulmate saw or hear the music playing in their soulmate's ears, Lukas and his destined partner had a diffrent bond . They shared the sense of taste. and they shared it twenty-four seven.

And it was _not_ romantic.  If anything, it was the definitive proof that soulmates completing each other was, indeed, a bullshit, and he was better off without one .

You see the problem was, Lukas’ soulmate had an _extreme_ fondness for sweets.

Lukas himself never  really  cared for sweet stuff.  Sure he would eat cake at a family gathering out of politeness (or desire not to  be picked  on by one of his many aunties for not eating what they’d baked) but this… soulmate of his… that was something else .

The first time they connected Lukas almost fell down from his bed as the  the tatse of chocolate cake _exploded_ his mouth .

And it didn’t seem to get better with the next meal. Or the meal afterwards.

There was always something _sweet_. Sweet breakfast and dinner, sweet dessert after lunch, saccharine snacks, sugary afternoon treats.

It was _horrendous._

Of course, Lukas was not going to sit down and let this unknown sugar obsessed stranger walk all over him with her weird food preferences .

And thus the great battle started.

For several long months, every time his soulmate ate something sweet, Lukas would go and rinse his mouth.  When he was feeling very  poorly  , or his soulmate was taking it overboard (which was most of the time he had to admit), he would also add eating spicy or sour foods,  just  to retaliate and sent a reminder there were more than her taste buds in the game  . She, unfortunately, more often than not came back with something even sweeter.  To which he would respond by  thoroughly  rinsing his mouth and drinking coffee, which she would try to wash own a bit with milk, to which he would go into the kitchen and take out his grandmother’s spicy chicken wings… And this could go on for an entire day . And a week. And a month. And then several.

In fact, it took almost a year of ferocious attacks before both parties finally got tired of battling each other and gave up, opting for ignoring the other person culinary choices as much as possible while minding their own business .

Or that was at least what Lukas was doing. There wasn’t much to do about it anyways.  Apparently  , the soulmate bond could not  be severed by  any means aside from death. Lukas felt that would be too much of a hassle. After all, if he wanted to kill his soulmate he would have to find her first.

And so he settled on rinsing his mouth and drinking black coffee to wash down the sugar.

The time  slowly  passed by. Lukas enrolled in the police academy, then joined the police force. During that time neither his nor his soulmate’s dining habits changed much.  She was still pretty much into sweet things, he was falling deeper and deeper into his coffee addiction  .  However  , they seemed to get used to each other better over the years, falling almost into a routine of sorts, and  slowly  but  surely  , Lukas found himself getting familiar with his soulmates habits and preferences .

It wasn’t like he wanted to.  Obviously  .  It was  simply  that they  were connected  for years at that point, and she was rather transparent in what she liked and what routine she maintained . That was all.

And so  unwillingly  he started picking up things - usually  just  small details, little tidbits of her life, miscellaneous and not at all important .

For example, he knew he could expect to wake up every day to the taste of coffee and some light pastry with fruit filling or cinnamon buns on his tongue  . (Well aside from weekends those  were reserved  for pancakes and waffles. He hated both but  personally  preferred waffles.)

He also knew she preferred fruit pies, puff pastry and tarts over cookies and muffins. And that she liked fresh fruit -  mainly  strwberries and blueberries.

He knew she sometimes baked herself - if the random tasting of sugar, salt, dough and cream fillings that often disturbed him from the afternoon rest was anything to go by - and that she always drank a cup of milk with cinnamon before bed .

She seemed to  really  like cinnamon,  overall  . She put it almost everywhere, even into her coffee.  It didn’t even matter what kind of coffee she was drinking - cappuccino, americano, Vienna, latte - cinnamon always found its way in.

(He sometimes had to wonder if she was always brewing her coffee at home, or if she was  just  carrying a packet of the spice with her everywhere she went .)

He also knew she disliked cranberries - the taste appeared on Lukas’ tongue just once or twice and it washed down with coffee really quickly. She didn't seem to like bananas either, though she liked banana bread - she had it last twice a month, and she usually ate so much of it that Lukas himself then felt full for the rest of the day.

And her favourite thing of them all seemed to be a chocolate cake.

Not even chocolate in general (which was a shame since she could have at least one normal decent food preference Lukas could agree with)  .  No,  just  a chocolate cake - one of those fancy monstrosities with a lot of dark cream that melts in your mouth, corpus so sweet you almost choke on it, and a thick three-layered crust decorated with small golden pearlsand large pieces of chocolate sticking out of it like shards of glass .

Lukas hated that thing more than life.

Fortunately , his soulmate ate it only on very special occasions it seemed, so he was able to bear with it.

 _Unfortunately_ , on much less special occasions, she liked to munch late at night. It was horrible.

In fact, it almost made Lukas wish to meet his soulmate  just  so he could tell her to cut it off with the midnight snacks. Only almost though. Because  really , he did not care for soulmates. And he still thought he was better off not knowing his. Life was much simpler this way.

Or so he thought.

Then, one day, his connection to his soulmate vanished.

It was December, the winter frostbiting in, the sky hovering low like a cold heavy blanket.

At first, he didn’t even notice.  It was right after the massacre on the Hanbury street and he and his fellow officers  were buried  up to his neck in an investigation which left no time and will to even think about food . Only after  perhaps  a week since the massacre, he noticed an odd dullness on his tongue. No  obnoxiously  sweet dessert after dinner, no tea time cake…

Nothing but the bitter taste of coffee he  just  drank.

The realization hit him a bit harder than he would like to admit, along with a small pang of guilt.

Something must have happened to his soulmate.

Something he failed to notice.

_Something,_ he reminded himself  sternly , _that was none of your business. You should be glad this nuisance is over. Didn't even have to talk to her._

Yes, he should be glad.

Or at least relieved.

Or not care at all. He had work to do after all. He should focus on that.

He would never admit to the feeling of relief that pushed against his ribs when finally he felt a faint taste of plain bread on his tongue .

Neither would he admit that his heart died a bit moments later as the same taste appeared again now enriched with the sour aftertaste of bile .

He would admit mild concern though. After all, his soulmate never threw up - not even during those first few months of their  admittedly  horrid connection, not even when Lukas himself was sick .

_Something wasn’t right._

His mild concern only grew as the next day the same thing repeated this time with plain rice.

And the next day too.

And the following day.

In.

Pause.

Out.

At first, Lukas decided to ignore it.  He knew his soulmate was… well not fine but alive, and whatever business was going on with them, there wasn’t much he could help with . He didn’t even know their name after all, so how could he…?

He was  just  returning from work when he passed a cake shop,  wonderfully  decorated cakes displayed  proudly  behind the window. He paused for a moment, a large chocolate cake sitting in the middle of the display catching his attention . The whole thing screamed sugar for _miles_.

The next thing he knew he was marching down the street with a white paper box, the dreaded chocolate bomb inside ticking to the rhythm of his heart .

When he got back home, he placed the box on the counter and  just  stared at it for fifteen minutes. Then he opened it, took the cake out and stared at that for ten more.

_It might not work._

_It was a dumb decision._

But he already bought it and he hated wasting food.

And who knew. He might actually choke on it and then he’ll be off this horrible world for good.

He did indeed almost suffocate before he managed to eat the damn thing whole.

It was even worse when a few minutes later, he found himself throwing it up, the action prompted by his soulmate's behaviour .

He gritted his teeth, the chocolate flavour mixed with bitter bile on his tongue.

_What a waste of time and energy…_

Still, the next day he stopped by the bakery and bought a strawberry croissant.

This time there was no response at all.

Mildly  grateful, he went for a blueberry cone the next day.

Then he tried cupcakes, though he knew she wasn't that fond of them.

Then he tried waffles.

This time the reply finally came. And,  thankfully , it was not in form of bile rising in his throat but as a plain pancake with no cream or filling.

Sweet.

_Gross._

And yet, it almost made Lukas dance around his kitchen with excitement.

_It was a start._

A start of a long and  painfully  slow process, that needs to  be said  .  After all, Lukas had no idea who his soulmate was, so he couldn’t help in any other way than to remind her what foods she used to like  .  Nevertheless  , he  stubbornly  kept on eating what he thought she might like - always in secret, because god forbid his coworkers learnt that he became fond of sweets or even worse was trying to help someone .

Not always would it yield positive results. Sometimes she didn’t react at all. Sometimes, she would throw up out of stubbornness or even stop eating for another day.

Still, after some time, the progress started to show. The vomiting fits became rarer and rarer, and the meals grew in frequency and size. After about a year, he thought she might have started baking again, since the afternoon tasting sessions recommenced  . This fact brought him much more joy than it  reasonably  should have. She also went back to her normal sweet breakfast, which - he concluded - brought him relief  just  because now _he_ could stop having sweet breakfast .

Not everything returned back to normal though

She still ate less than before - well  mainly  less sweet things, but regular food too. Her fondness for banana bread seemed to disappear completely. She also stopped her midnight munching as well as drinking warm milk with cinnamon for the night.

That was not to say her love for cinnamon was gone for good. She still liked cinnamon buns and put cinnamon in her coffee every day.  She didn’t let go of the chocolate cake either - something that Lukas wasn’t sure should irritate him or make him feel relieved .

(He opted for irritation in the end. It was a force of habit.)

Overall  ,  however, it seemed his soulmate was back - in more muted flavours and with less sugar than before, but still there somewhere on the other side of the line .

And it  was indeed  nice.

But as the rule of nature dictates, once Lukas Randall gets into his comfort zone in regards to his soulmate, there must be something to yank him out of it, in order for the story to progress .

***

That day was not a good day for Lukas.

It was  really  cold outside, the wind was annoying, the amount of paperwork was horrendous, the precinct was upside down because of the whole La Lune business, he got little to no sleep last night, and based on the letter they  just  got from La Lune he won’t be getting any sleep that night either. And if that wasn't enough, Sergeant Ladell was once again up an out on her bullshit, messing with the entire office for her own entertainment .

In short, Lukas had a bad day, and he was one cup of coffee from unleashing a slaughter that would make the Leader of the Phantom Scythe go “yo, chill dude” .

A cup that was currently missing from his table.

_What the-_

He stood up from his seat, murder glaring from his eyes.

“If I’m deprived of my morning coffee,  I might  deprive you of your limbs.”

The entire office froze at that moment.

_Good,_ Lukas thought. _At least they won’t run as I take them down one by one. And I'll start with-_

“You.. you might have mine if you need one,” a soft voice broke off the silence.

Lukas  slowly  turned to the course of the voice to see Lila, her eyes fixed on the desk and her hand with the cup outstretched towards him .

“It's a fresh cup. I still haven’t drunk from it,” she added  hastily.

“Thank you.” Lukas took the cup  purposely  ignoring the sigh of relief that washed over the office.

Lila nodded with a strained smile.

“You’re welcome.”

"Mhm,” Lukas only nodded raising the cup to his lips. Lila was one of the less aggravating of his coworkers - in fact, he would almost say he was fond of her at times. She was a very positive yet polite soul that started working in the office about a year ago.  Lukas heard her father and brother died during the Hanbury street massacre, but, despite her past trauma, she was always very kind and friendly with everyone  . He  just  had no idea where she was taking all that energy from.

_Maybe , she had a very supportive soulmate,_ a thought crossed his mind.

He chuckled at the thought, but then paused as a familiar scent hit his nose.

_Wait, was this-?_

He took a sip.

_Cinnamon._

He looked up to see Lila staring back at him, her eyes wide open and an adorable blush spreading across her cheek in a sudden realization .

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize...” she blurted out her voice  quickly  trailing off.

Lukas took a deep breath.

_Don’t look too happy about this,_ he warned himself.

“It’s fine,” he said at last.

“Though it’s a bit sweet for my taste.”

“Oh,” she glanced down biting her lip to stop herself from laughing.

“Yes, I would guess so. You know… I know this  really  lovely coffee shop not too far. So if you’re free...?”

Lukas hesitated.

_Ah, to hell with it._

“I can’t today. Tomorrow.”

Lila looked back at him, the shock of him actually accepting obvious from her face.

_Common, don’t make a show out of this,_ Lukas thought for himself, but couldn’t help but feel somewhat lightheaded as her face melted into a smile and she nodded.

“I look forward to it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there!  
> Thank you all for reading this fic, I hope it didn't leave you in poor spirits, and please comment and leave kudos if you're inclined so.  
> I also feel obliged to mention that I don't own PH or any of the characters either, that honour goes to the amazing Sophism and Ephemerys.  
> Also if you haven’t read PH yet and you’re here just because you were randomly browsing the site, [please, read it here ](https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/purple-hyacinth/list?title_no=1621&page=1)  
> And if you have read it but ~~you still feel a bit too sane~~ you want to talk with someone abt it, here’s [PH discord ](https://discord.gg/Y7r2fDg)  
> That would be all, I wish a plasant day/night/insert part of the day cycle of your liking!
> 
> PS: I should have added this sooner but I forgot and I'm really sorry - since this is from Lukas' perspective it's not directly in the text, but I just want to make clear that he was in fact not the one who "cured" Lila of her problems. Him kinda trying to help her in his weird way might have helped but in general she got support fom her family and friends too.  
> (Sorry this whole fic is a mess.)


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